Pole reenforcement



March 13, 1934. HOGAN POLE REENFORCEMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1950 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 NETE STATES sic 4 Claims.

This invention relates to reenforcements for wooden poles such as telephone poles, electric light poles, etc., which have become weakened by the decay to which a wooden pole is subjected at or near the surface of the earth in which the pole is set.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel pole reenforcement which will function not only toreenforce and strengthen a wooden pole which has been weakened by decay but which will also serve to prevent further decay of the pole.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel pole reenforcement having the features hereinafter set forth.

My improved pole reenforcement is of that type comprising reenforcing members which are adapted to be set into the earth alongside of the pole.

The reenforcing members I prefer to employ are either channel shaped or I-beam shaped and are set into the earth with the legs of the channel resting against the pole, these reenforcing members being suitably clamped to the pole.

The space between the reenforcing members and the pole is filled with concrete and hence the pole receives a reenforcement which results not only from the strength of the metal-reenforcing member but also from the presence of the concrete filling.

The concrete or cement filling fills in the portion of the cavity caused by the decay of the pole which is located within the reenforcing members and thus serves to prevent further decay at this point. As a further means of preventing decay of the pole and also as a means for adding to the reenforcing effect of the reenforcing members I propose to build a reenforcing ring or block of concrete or cement around the pole at the point of decay. This reenforcing block will preferably be embedded in the earth and will fill all of the decayed portion of the pole. It forms in effect a concrete collar which surrounds the pole at the weakened point. This concrete collar can be poured into a suitable form after the reenforcing members are applied to the pole.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the lower portion of a decayed pole which is reenforced with my improved reenforcement;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the metalreenforcing members;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is section on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a reenforcing member of the I-beam form.

In the drawing 1 indicates a wooden pole such as is used for telephone poles, electric light poles, etc., said pole having a butt portion 2 which is set into the earth 3 in usual way.

After a few years of use a wooden pole of this type becomes so weakened by decay which gradually occurs at the portion of the pole adjacent the surface of the earth 3 as to render the pole unfit for further use although the butt 2 and the top of the pole may have substantially all of their original strength.

The drawing illustrates a pole which has been thus weakened, the decayed weakened portion of the pole being indicated at 4.

As stated above my present invention provides a novel pole reenforcement adapted not only to reenforce a weakened pole of this nature but also to provide a preventative for further decay of the pole.

My improved reenforcement comprises one or more reenforcing members 5 of metal which may be either channel shape or the shape of an I-beam and which are adapted to be set into the earth alongside of the pole and to be clamped thereto. Usually two reenforcing members will be sufficient but my invention contemplates the use of one only or more than two as circumstances dictate. These reenforcing members may conveniently be made of cold rolled steel although they may be made of any suitable material. They are placed in the earth alongside of the pole and in position so that the members will extend above and below the decayed portion of the pole. The transverse dimension of the reenforcing members is such that the legs thereof are spaced a distance apart considerably less than the diameter of the pole so that when the reenforcing members are placed in the earth alongside of the pole the edges of the legs engage the surface of the pole. These members are clamped to the pole by some suitable clamping means. That herein shown is in the form of a strap 6 which encircles both the pole and the reenforcing members and the ends of which are secured to one of the reenforcing members.

As herein shown the ends of the clamping band 6 are bolted to one of the reenforcing members, the latter having an opening '7 through which a clamping bolt 8 is inserted from the inside, said bolt extending through apertures formed in the ends 9 of the clamping band 2.

The reenforcing members are clamped to the pole above the surface of the earth and may also be clamped to the pole below the surface of the earth or near their lower ends if desired. If a lower clamp is employed then it would be necessary to remove the earth from around the pole sufiiciently to permit the lower clamping member to be installed.

After the channel-shaped reenforcing members are clamped to the pole then I propose to fill the space between the reenforcing members and pole with cement or concrete as shown at 10. This cement flows into and fills the portion of the cavity formed by the decay of theipole which is located within the confines of the reenforcing members as shown at 11. {The cement filling 11 augments the reenforcing properties of the channel-shaped reenforcing' member 5 so that the pole has the benefit of the reenforcement provided by both the metal element 5 and the cement filling 10.

In addition to the reenforcing"membersabove referred to I also propose to place a collar of cement around the pole at the decayed portion, said collar preferably having a sufficient vertical dimension to extend at least to the top of the decayed portion. Such collar of cement is shown at 12 and it will preferably be poured into a suitable form which will be built around the pole after the reenforcing members have been installed. The cement formed by this collar completely fills the portion of the cavity formed by the decay in the pole which is outside of the reenforcing members 5 and, therefore, the cement which has been poured into the reenforcing members together with the reenforcing collar 12 completely fills the cavity formed by the decay of the pole and thus prevents any further decay. It might be stated that before the'reenforcing members are applied it would be well to clean the cavity by removing any softdecayed wood.

The cement collar 12 extends into the earth 3 for a distance and it augments the reenforcing effect of the reenforcing members 5.

The reenforcing members 5 may be made of any suitable material. If they are made of cold rolled steel or any other metal which easily corrodes I propose to protect such reenforcing members by enclosing them in a sheath of non-corrosive metal such as galvanized iron or "copper.

Such sheath is shown at 13 and it covers the outer walls of the members 5 and the edges of the legs, in fact, all'of the surface'of the members 5 which are exposed to the air or to elements which produce corrosion. These protecting sheaths can be easily formed into shape and then slipped over the reenforcing members 5 before the latter are clamped to the pole. The cement 10 protects from corrosion the inner surface of the members 5 which are not protected by the protective sheath 13.

While I prefer to make the reenforcing member of channel shape form as shown in Fig. 2 yet it will be within the invention to use the I-beam shape shown in Fig. 5 wherein 23 indicates a portion of such reenforcing member.

I claim:

1. A reenforcement for poles comprising a channel-shaped reenforcing member of steel set into the earth alongside of the pole with the legs of the member spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the pole and resting against the pole, means for clamping said member to the pole,

cement filling the space between said reenforcingmember'and the pole, and a protective sheath of non-corrosive material separate from the reenforc'ing member and enclosing the outer exposed surface thereof thereby protecting it from corrosion.

' 2. Acombined reenforcement andprotection for wooden poles comprising metal reenforcing members set into the earth alongside of and against he pole, the sides of said members facing the pole' beingchannel shaped with the legs of the channel spaced apart a distance less than the diameterof the poleand engaging the pole; means for clampi-ngsaid memb'ers'to the pole, a protective sheath of non-corrosive metal enclosing the por- -tions'=of the reenforcing members which-are subjected to corrosive action-cement filling the-space between said members and thepole, and a cement collar encircling both the reenforcing members and the portions of the pole exposed between said member-sat the zone adjacent the earths surface where the decay 'normally'occurs in the pole.

'3. A combinedreenforcement and protection for wooden poles comprising reenforcing members set into the earth alongside of and against the pole, the sides 'of each member'which face the *pole being *channel-shapedwvith the legs of the channel spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the pole and directly engaging said pole,-means for clamping said members to the pole, whereby they serve to reenforoe and strengthen the pole, cement filling the spacebetween each member-andthe pole; and a cement v collar located immediately beneath the earths surface and encircling the reinforcingniembers and the portionsof "the pole between said-members.

4. A-reenforcement for poles comprising a' metal :reenforcing member set into the earth alongside of the pole, means for clamping said member to 

